Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
“guide” - all legal tour guides in Belize are licensed
and will have a
photo ID
. If you have doubts about
using a certain guide, trust your instinct and report
the incident to the authorities.
POLICE EMERGENCY
NUMBERS
The police emergency number in Belize is
T
90 or
T
911; to contact the tourism
police or to report a crime in Belize City,
call
T
227 2210 or
T
227 2222.
Tourism police and reporting a crime
In addition to its regular police force, Belize has
special
tourism police
, operating from local police
stations. Easily identified by their shirts and caps
emblazoned with “Tourism Police”, they patrol Belize
City, San Pedro, Caye Caulker, Placencia and many
other tourist destinations around the country.
Police in Belize are generally poorly paid and,
despite an ongoing campaign against criminals
who prey on tourists, it's often di
cult to convince
them to do any more than simply fill out a report.
Tourism police are specially trained to assist visitors
and will likely prove more helpful.
If you're a victim of any crime, you should also
report it to your
embassy
if you can - doing so helps
the consular staff support their case for better tourist
protection. This is not to say that crime against
tourists is taken lightly in Belize; if criminals are
caught, they're brought into court quickly, particu-
larly compared to other countries in the region.
you're very unlikely to experience any crime during
your visit.
That said, it pays to be aware of the dangers. If
you've got valuables,
insure
them properly, keep
them close to you (preferably in a concealed
moneybelt) and always store
photocopies
of your
passport and insurance documents in a secure
place. Trousers with zippered pockets are also good
pickpocket-deterrents. Looking generally “respect-
able” without appearing a
uent will go some way
in avoiding unwanted attention. One fairly accurate
overview of the possible dangers of visiting Belize
and Central America is on the UK Foreign O
ce
Travel Advice Unit
website,
W
fco.gov.uk. The unit
also produces a helpful leaflet for independent
travellers, explaining what a consul can and cannot
do for you while you're abroad. The US equivalent is
the State Department's
Consular Information
Service
(
W
travel.state.gov), which also publishes
consular information sheets and lists the current
dangers to US citizens.
Break-ins
at hotels are one of the most common
types of petty theft - something you should bear in
mind when selecting a room. Make sure the lock on
your door works, from the inside as well as out. In
some budget hotels, the lock will be a small padlock
on the outside; for extra safety, it's a good idea to
supply your own so you're the only one with keys.
Many hotels will have a
safe
for valuables. It's up to
you whether you use it; most of the time it will be
fine, but make sure whatever you put in is securely
wrapped - a lockable moneybelt does the job.
Solo women travellers
, in addition to exercising
the usual precautions, should be especially careful
when talking to new male acquaintances in restau-
rants and bars, particularly in the cayes and Belize
City. As in many other parts of the world, drugs
intended to make women susceptible to
date rape
and other violent crimes are occasionally slipped
into food or drinks. Though most victims of such
acts have been local women, it's still never a good
idea to accept food or drinks from anyone you don't
know well.
Finally, don't let anyone without the o
cial
credentials talk you into accepting them as your
Culture and etiquette
On the whole, Belize is friendly and welcoming to
outsiders, and, as a popular holiday destination,
very accustomed to hosting visitors.
Due to the warm climate, clothing is mostly very
casual; business people often dress smartly, but full
suits are uncommon.
Belize shares Central America's
culture of
machismo
, and local men can be boldly persistent,
particularly with solo women travellers in Belize City
and tourist areas. Replying to them with a short
greeting and moving on quickly will usually convey
your lack of interest without being insulting.
Though Belizeans rarely
tip
unless they receive
exceptional service, foreigners are expected to do
so in most situations. An average practice is to tip
ten percent
for food and drink, but significantly
more for specialized, personal service (eg, an excep-
tional tour guide).
Public toilets
are quite rare in Belize, though the
bus station in Belize City does have them. Facilities
are basic but usually very clean.
Electricity
The main supply is 110 volts AC, with American-style,
two- or three-pin sockets. Any electrical equipment
